Large Engines on the Lickey Incline: 1956-1964

The history of the large banking engines following the withdrawal of 58100 'Big Bertha' in May 1956 is quite interesting. After so many years with the same engine, this period was to produce up to eight separate bankers, an average of one different engine every 12 months.



Riddles 9F

 The first signs of British Rail's intent became apparent in August 1955 when standard Class 9F 2-10-0 No. 92008 was sent to Bromsgrove for banking trials (remaining until 24 August). An observer at Bromsgrove on 23 August considered the banking performance of 92008 to be "particularly impressive", and certainly the trials were obviously regarded as successful by the authorities, because when 58100 was withdrawn the permanent replacement turned out to be another 9F, 92079, which on and off stayed for the next 7½ years. In fact, the resident large banker (this tradition was carried on right to the end of steam at Bromsgrove) was a 9F type throughout this period.

The full list is as f ollows:

 

92079

92079

92079

92135

92231

92005

92079

92234

92079

92223

92230

To this list can be added one additional banker which is included because although it might not be regarded as large compared to 'Big Bertha' or 92079, it was a one-off as a banker and quite different from the Jinties or Pannier tanks. In February 1958 a change in regional boundaries took place so that the line to the south-west of milepost 52½. (Including Blackwell, the Incline, and Bromsgrove) came under Western Region jurisdiction. It was probably this fact that caused the visit to Bromsgrove of two ex-GWR tank locomotives 2-8-2T No.7235 and 2-8-0T No.5226.



GWR 7200 class 2-8-2 No 7202 at Severn Tunnel Junction
 26 April 1964. Copyright - Richard Postill

Another influence was that the regular large banker 92079 was away at Crewe Works and perhaps the authorities were looking for some powerful temporary substitute. Whatever the reason, 7235 arrived in mid-April for banking trials, but when she was tried on 18 April she fouled the platform edges at Bromsgrove. A few days later she was noted on Bromsgrove shed out of use, the test being deemed a failure because of the clearance problem and 7235 was sent back to Worcester. This engine had been specifically transferred to 85A Worcester in April from 87F Llanelli, to be available for trial purposes. It was fairly rare for this class of locomotive to be shedded outside South Wales, and after a brief stay at Worcester and Gloucester she returned to Llanelli in March 1959.

42XX GWR 5235 Severn Tunnel Junction.
26 April 1964. Copyright Richard Postill

The next move was to try 5226, which arrived in May 1958, being officially allocated at the time to 85C Hereford. As a matter of interest this engine was another of the few heavy freight tank locomotives to 'escape' from South Wales when it was allocated to 82C Swindon in July 1952, being moved to Hereford in October 1955. This engine did not have any clearance problems, presumably associated with its shorter frame and wheelbase compared to 7235, and was passed for use at Bromsgrove. If she had come as a temporary measure (and the fact that she was not officially transferred to Bromsgrove 85D until November 1959 lends credence to this view) she was obviously thought by the authorities to be worth an extended stay, because she remained at Bromsgrove until April 1960, then being re-allocated to 85A Worcester.

She was to remain there until early 1964 when she returned to South Wales being allocated to 88H Tondu, 87F Llanelli, and 86E Severn Tunnel Junction in quick succession. She was withdrawn in March 1965 and cut up at Cashmores, Newport, in June 1965. During her stay at Bromsgrove she was in fairly regular use, but whilst offering an interesting change from the normal bankers, 5226 was not regarded as either a resounding success or a dismal failure. As a postscript 5226 was to meet again some of her old colleagues at Bromsgrove when she visited Stafford Road Works, Wolverhampton in 1961. A visit on 5 November recorded her with 92079, two of Bromsgrove's ex-GWR pannier tanks 8405 and 8409, and a similar engine from Worcester, 8415, which over a number of years was to help out on banking duties many times.

Returning to the 9F 2-10-0's listed earlier, some brief records of their careers are tabulated below:

92005

Was allocated to 86A Newport Ebbw Junction when new but had become an 86C Cardiff Canton engine by the time she acted as temporary banker at the end of 1959. She was to work for almost 3 years from 50A York Shed before withdrawal in August 1965.

92008

Was a l5A Wellingborough engine at the time she came to Bromsgrove for trials in 1955, but was transferred to 21A Saltley in June 1957. She was subsequently sent to Rowsley (17C), Kirkby (16E), Speke (8C), and Warrington (8B) before withdrawal in October 1967.

92079

Arrived at Bromsgrove in May 1956 (having been allocated new to 18A Toton in April) to replace 58100 'Big Bertha'. By early June she was well into her stride complete with 'Big Bertha's' electric headlight, and on 10 June was observed banking the 2.10 pm Bristol- .Bradford. In the period August-November 1957 she visited Crewe Works, being noted on a freight on the Leeds-Huddersfield line on 5 October. The next day she was at Farnley Junction Shed. Whilst she was ,away banking duties were covered on a week by week basis by Sa1tley's recently acquired 9Fs, such as 92135 - 92139 In early 1958 she paid her second visit to works; she was noted at Crewe Works through March and by 5 April was at Birkenhead in ex-works condition, obviously running-in (by coincidence she would spend the latter years of her life based at Birkenhead). By 10 May she was banking again on the Lickey. A year later she was dead on Bromsgrove Shed with a defective boiler and was despatched to Swindon Works this time for attention. She was to be away for some while - it wasn't until 5 January 1960 that she was noted ex-works at Paddington on a running-in parcels turn, newly fitted with a double chimney, and it was later in the month before she returned to Bromsgrove. (As a matter of interest the fitting of a double chimney as standard commenced with 92183 and included the rest of the class up to 92250.

Riddles 2-10-0 on shed

Of the locomotives preceding them only three were later converted, the original 92000, 92079 and 92178. The fitting of a double chimney is designed to make the engine more free-steaming, a feature that should be particularly beneficial to a banking engine required to work very hard for relatively short periods. Whether in fact there was any real benefit in practice to 92079 is not known). Certainly Swindon Works had not appeared to be in any great hurry because 92079 had stood in the works yard through June to end September. The next occasion she was to leave Bromsgrove was late in 1961 when another short visit to works was deemed necessary, this time to Stafford Road Works, Wolverhampton.

In February 1963 she was used in trials on the Incline when Brush Type 4 No. D1500 was tested, although it only involved following the test train at a reasonable distance as a safety precaution in the event of a breakaway or the train stalling. October 1963 was to bring her reallocation to 8H Birkenhead where she survived until November 1967, the interim period including another visit to Crewe Works in late 1964, and various visits back to the Midlands. She was observed at Stourbridge Junction Shed on 19 September 1966 and at Saltley on 25 September 1966. After a period of store at Speke Junction she was cut up at Campbell's, Airdrie in April 1968

92223

Arrived at Bromsgrove (850) in October 1963 as a replacement for 92079. Since being allocated new to Banbury (84C) in June 1958, this engine had been to Plymouth, Banbury again, Swindon and Newport Ebbw Junction, so she was a much-travelled member of her class. Her travels had also included visits to Swindon Works in November 1960 -February 1961 and most unusually, to Gorton Works (Manchester) where she was noted in the erecting shed on 11 November 1962. As it happened, her travelling was to come to a rapid halt because within a few weeks of arriving at Bromsgrove she was out of service with cylinder problems.

After checking by an inspector sent up from Swindon 92223 was officially withdrawn in February 1964 due to scoring of both cylinders. She was the first 9F to be withdrawn, after only 5½ years service. For the next 3-4 months she lay at the back of Bromsgrove Shed before being despatched to Swindon Works where she was recorded on 26 July. She was in a very poor external condition following the many weeks of inactivity. During this delay the authorities had reconsidered the position and decided it would be economic to repair the locomotive; she was duly reinstated (on the books) to 2A Tyseley, effective June 1964.

In the event she was still in the erecting shop at Swindon Works in late November. After this 'resurrection' she was to survive until the very last days of steam, being allocated to Saltley and Carlisle Kingmoor before withdrawn from 10A Carnforth depot in April 1968. In this later period she paid a return visit to Bromsgrove on 8 June 1965 with a passing freight, was seen at 8A Edge Hill on Boxing Day 1966 with a newly-cast smokebox number plate (the original having been prematurely sold) and was the only steam locomotive noted during several hours of observation near Carlisle on 15 November 1967.

92230

Was the last 9F to be allocated officially to Bromsgrove (from January-August 1964) and so was the last of the large steam banking engines. Allocated new to Banbury in August 1958 she subsequently spent time at Old Oak Common, Newport Ebbw Junction, and Gloucester. She was recorded at Swindon Works in August 1958, February 1961 (on this occasion in company with 8406, 8427 and 92223, all associated with Bromsgrove), and May-August 1962. After the problems with 92223 at the beginning of 1964, 92230 was recorded on banking duty on 10 February. After leaving Bromsgrove when the shed was closed in September 1964, she was seen around the Midlands quite often before her withdrawal in December 1965, being cut up at Cashmores, Newport about June 1966.

92231

Was allocated new in August 1958 to 86G Pontypool Road but was soon moved to Severn Tunnel Junction and then to Cardiff Canton. In April 1959, when 92079 went to Swindon Works, 92231 was sent as a temporary substitute arriving on 8 April and staying until about October, when she retired to Worcester Works for some minor but necessary repairs. She was reported in the works during November but after repair returned to Cardiff Canton, her home depot. She was never officially transferred to Bromsgrove. In January 1961 she was moved to 71A Eastleigh (one of the few engines of this class to be allocated to the Southern Region), paid a visit to Eastleigh Works in April, and was seen at Bromsgrove again on 26 October 1961 at the head of a Fawley to Bromford Bridge oil train. The later part of her career was spent working from 50A York Shed, from which she was withdrawn in November 1966, to be cut up at Drapers, Hull.

92234

started life new in August 1958 at 86G Pontypool Road (like 92231), but during 1959 she was almost constantly on the move, her home sheds being 86E Severn Tunnel Junction, 86C Cardiff Canton, and then 84C Banbury.

She was officially transferred to Bromsgrove (85D) in the 4-week period ending 7 October 1961, but was actually recorded as having arrived as early as 25 August. She was in use as a banker when trials were carried out by Peak diesel D40 hauling unbanked test trains. When she arrived at Bromsgrove she was in ex-works condition having just emerged from Swindon Works where she had been noted in the 'A' shop during May and June. Her stay at Bromsgrove was, however, short; when

92079 arrived back from Wolverhampton Works, 92234 was transferred in December 1961 back to Banbury. During the next few years she remained a Midlands-based engine, being allocated to Tyseley and Saltley before eventually arriving at 8H Birkenhead in December 1966. In the period 1962-66 she visited Crewe Works three times (late 1963, mid 1965 and Autumn 1966). She was withdrawn from Birkenhead in November 1967 being sold to Campbell's, Airdrie in February/March 1968 for scrapping.

There were other 9F types in use as bankers from time to time, normally Saltley-allocated members on temporary loan; one known example is 92138, another being 92135 for a few days at the beginning of April 1959.

Riddles 9F at Wolverhampton

In summary, the 9Fs in their relatively short period as bankers were liked by the engine crews and did a good job. The disappointment of losing 'Big Bertha' in 1956 was forgotten when the value of 92079 was realised and from then on the future of this type of locomotive at Bromsgrove was secure, albeit that there was a considerable 'chopping and changing' of these engines over the remaining years of steam. Fortunately, some examples of this class have been preserved, the most well-known being the last-built example 92220 'Evening Star', which will act as a reminder for future rail enthusiasts of the last of the large Lickey banking engines.




Source: 'The Railway History of Bromsgrove and the Lickey Incline' Part 2



'A miscellany of local railway events, operating practices, banking engines, services and a locomotive traffic survey, for the period 1949-1983. Compiled by Robert Danes on behalf of the Bromsgrove Steam Enthusiasts Club.

This is an excellent anthology of information on the Lickey Incline. Part 1 does not seem to have been published. Attempts to trace Mr Danes have come to nought and the Club no longer seems to function.

See more of Richard Postill's splendid photographs of steam on British Railways here